Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: NTSB to vote on probable cause, safety recommendations

BALTIMORE - The findings of a federal investigation into the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse will be revealed on Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board is meeting at its L’Enfant Plaza headquarters in Washington at 9:30 a.m. to present its update.

Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: NTSB to vote on probable cause

The findings of a federal investigation into the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse will be revealed on Tuesday.

By the numbers:

The announcement comes as rebuilding costs and timelines continue to rise. The Maryland Transportation Authority now estimates the new bridge will cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion — more than double early projections — and may not reopen until late 2030, two years past initial estimates.

FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh says this has been one of the nation’s most closely watched investigations. The NTSB will publicly lay out its findings, vote on the probable cause of the collapse, and issue nationwide safety recommendations.

The investigation, nearly 20 months in the making, is expected to focus heavily on the Dali cargo ship’s electrical failures in the minutes before impact and the bridge’s vulnerability to a strike of that size.

READ MORE: Maryland lawmakers tour Baltimore Key Bridge demolition site as rebuild continues

The backstory:

On March 26, 2024, the Dali lost electrical power and propulsion as it moved down the Patapsco River. Moments later, it struck a key support pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending the central spans into the water.

Six construction workers were killed, and the Port of Baltimore was shut down for nearly three months.

Preliminary NTSB findings released last year showed the ship experienced multiple power failures, including one just seconds before the crash. The agency has also been reviewing the bridge’s vulnerability to large vessel strikes.

The probe extends beyond the crash itself, covering the Dali’s equipment, design issues raised in lawsuits, hazardous materials on board, and safety protections along the shipping channel.

READ MORE: NTSB says Key Bridge collapse could have been prevented with 'vulnerability and risk assessments'

Bodycam video shows Baltimore Key Bridge collapse rescue

The Baltimore Police Department has released bodycam video showing officers rescuing a construction worker who fell the night the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March.

What they're saying:

Gov. Wes Moore responded Monday to the new cost and timeline, saying rising national material prices and tougher federal resilience standards — not state decisions — are driving the higher estimates.

NTSB leaders will walk through the findings, vote on the probable cause, and outline safety recommendations, including a nationwide review of dozens of bridges facing similar risks.

READ MORE: Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Owner of Dali cargo ship to pay US $100M in settlement

Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: bodycam video shows survivor's rescue

New body camera video shows Baltimore Police's response to the tragic Key Bridge collapse that left six people dead in March.